Every pastor has heard this response to the suggestion that their church look outwards and talk to some unbelievers about Jesus. In fact, the name Jesus needn’t even be mentioned. The word “outreach” is often enough to draw the same response: “But I’m not an evangelist”. It’s a dead-end phrase, a complete roadblock, and deeply disheartening for a pastor to hear, because an attempt to address it can feel like an attempt to challenge the congregant’s identity, against their will into the bargain. This can feel like an irreversible defeat in the quest for evangelism and mission, and can discourage both pastors, and gifted evangelists in the church who long to see people come to faith in Jesus, and their flock grow in numbers and in vitality. This need not be the case. There are many ways in which to share the good news about Jesus, and many methods of proposing those ways to churches, and it is possible to do so in ways which affirm and empower believers. Much ink has been spilled on the topic of evangelism, and of evangelism hesitancy, and this article will only attempt to scratch the surface by the barest of margins and offer some thoughts, which are hopefully useful to some.
Many of the subtexts of a person’s belief that he or she is not an evangelist are a collection of things that are actually true, but which do not preclude sharing faith. Objections can be “I’m an introvert”, “I don’t know enough about apologetics”, “I’m a new Christian”, or even “I don’t know any non-Christians”. While any of these things might be true for any number of believers, none of them rules out the ability to talk about faith in Jesus. It just means that those particular believers might not be ‘Big E Evangelists’.
It can be useful to point out to members of the church at the point of these objections that there are big E and small e evangelists, and they come in all temperaments, academic capacities, and stages of maturity. (Not all subscribe to this theory, but it can be a useful language in distinguishing between those who are gifted in evangelism, and those who are not.) A big E evangelist is a believer who is particularly gifted in evangelism, and who finds himself or herself energised by sharing his or her faith, and actively looks for opportunities to do so. Not all believers fall into this camp, and no believer should be made to feel as though it is required. Anyone who is not a big E evangelist is by default a small e evangelist, and as a matter of obedience is charged at the very least to “…be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15). So the answer to “But I’m not an evangelist” can sound like “No, you might not be, but we’re all called to be able to share our faith.” It can sound less daunting, but only slightly.
The simple truth is that obedience is costly, and it is hard work at times, and preparing to talk about faith in a way that is compelling and persuasive can feel like more that we are willing to give, or even that we are capable of. It is at this point that another scripture is pertinent: “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6). God would not ask anything of us for which He is not going to equip us. There is great liberty in this, in that we are reminded that our confidence does not need to come from within ourselves or from our abilities (and indeed ought not to) but it comes from God. With a few simple ideas and tools, sharing faith can become a joy, and something we long to do. The biggest obstacles to evangelism, and to creating a culture of evangelism in our churches, can be in our thinking and in our beliefs about what it is and how it ought to happen.
In attempts by pastors to overcome evangelism hesitancy in our churches, there are some common shortfalls which, while having some benefit, still miss the mark and do not yield ongoing evangelism or build a culture of evangelism. One such attempt is to teach a formulaic/rhetorical script to share when talking about Jesus. While these can be very useful, and there are some great examples of them, the truth is that there is not one single way to talk about Jesus and the beauty of his redemptive work. There are, in fact, myriad ways. Church members can feel that they ought not stray from the pattern they’ve been taught to say, and feel constricted to stay within it, even when they can sense that it is not being well received. Also, those hearing the taught formula can feel that the Christian who is sharing it is simply following a script, and has not really engaged with them or listened to them.
Another way churches can miss the mark with evangelism is by having a one-off evangelistic event. Again, these can be great things, and many people who have never heard about Jesus can hear the wonderful story of his love and salvation. But if the big event has no plan to follow up those who want to know more, or if church members feel that the evangelism box has been ticked for the year, then the mark has been missed. Additionally, it can be a significant drain on the church budget, while yielding very little return. An event like that is far more effective when the church who has hosted it has an ongoing culture of evangelism, and a number of options to offer those who are interested to pursue Jesus further, like an invitation to an Alpha program or similar.
Evangelism attempts can also be unfruitful when the good news being shared is incomplete or indistinct, or if the appeal is being made on the basis of something other than the gospel of the scriptures. When this happens, it can mean that those hearing the message are perhaps being called to a nice way to live, or a new group of friends, or a higher moral code that they previously held – and not the saving grace of Jesus.
There will be a lack of evangelism in churches where the pastor/s do not lead by example. It is vital for any church leaders who hope for evangelism to occur within their flocks to engage in evangelism themselves, and to share stories from their attempts. In so doing, leaders will foster and grow a culture of ongoing evangelism and demonstrate how it can be a part of everyday life, not just something done as a push for a big event, or as part of a program. Evangelism can additionally be stymied where church members are not taught how to be discerning and how to proceed when there are objections or hostility. Some pastors might choose to share and teach the concept of ‘people of peace’ to help with this.
How, then, might pastors go about cultivating an outward-looking church where members are willing and equipped to share their faith? A good starting place is to identify which members of a church are gifted, big E evangelists, and which are small e evangelists. Teaching each group will look different, and identifying the differences will give clarity and comfort to those who are fearful. Then, it is useful to think about both corporate and individual evangelism. How might a church reach out to and engage with its community as a community of believers? How might individuals think about sharing their faith one on one in their various contexts in ways that are relational and engaging? And how can individuals learn to share faith, and participate in corporate mission and evangelism in ways that feel authentic and not foreign to them. These are all important areas of evangelism to differentiate, to investigate, and to offer training in: big E, little E, corporate, and individual. Breaking it down like this takes away some of the fear of the unknown, and can give a sense of agency to those who feel ill-equipped to talk about their faith.
Another critical area to consider when teaching and leading in evangelism is that of contextualisation, with regard to both the broader Australian context, and the local context of a particular church. Understanding the context in which we will share our faith will have a large bearing on the manner and the methods with which we share it. Helping church members to think about this, and the kinds of people they will be sharing with, can demystify the process further, and can reinforce the idea that evangelism really is about the people with whom we share, and God being at work, far more that it is about ourselves and our gifts of lack of them, perceived or otherwise.
Even before methods, giftings, or contextualising, though, come prayer and expectation. Prayer, both individual and corporate, is the underpinning of evangelism. Prayer for both those known to us who we would love to see enter the kingdom of God, and more general prayer for the communities where we live, work, and worship. Expectation, then, will be a result of our prayerfulness. When we pray for God to move, we ought to expect to see Him do so. And that expectation will engender a desire to sharpen our focus on the world around us, and our skill in engaging with unbelievers with empathy, curiosity, and a desire to listen and learn how best to offer the wonderful, redemptive, and merciful love of Jesus.
As with any goal a church leader has for his or her church, a shared vision can be a highly effective motivation to help all members participate in the goal. The following quote from J. Mack Stiles in his book “Evangelism” describes a beautiful vision of church, and evangelism within it, to which any believer could joyfully subscribe:
“I long for a church that understands that it – the local church – is the chosen and best method of evangelism. I long for a church where the Christians are so in love with Jesus that when they go about the regular time of worship, they become an image of the gospel. I long for a church that disarms with love, not entertainment, and lives out countercultural confidence in the power of the gospel. I long for a church where the greatest celebrations happen over those who share their faith, and the heroes are those who risk their reputations to evangelise.”
This vision of every day evangelism within a community of believers is truly compelling, but might seem too far off to reach. If a church like this is what you would love to see, hear, and lead, then Ripple Effect is a highly effective tool to begin the journey there.
Ripple Effect is a multi-layered program offered by City to City Australia. Over twenty-two churches have participated in the program, and more that fifteen hundred people have participated in the online courses on offer. There are four different ways to engage with the Ripple Effect material. The first is a Workshop (conducted over a weekend) which is designed for an entire church to participate in. In it, every day Christians (small e evangelists) are equipped to share their faith. The second is an Online Course which is designed for small groups (mostly made up of small e evangelists) to access together, and looks at shifting the culture of congregations towards embracing and living out evangelism. The third is a Missional Engagement Incubator for Senior Leadership Teams to attend together with other Teams from other churches intermittently over a 12-month period. This helps leaders think about the structure of their churches, and where the pathways are for people to become Christians. The fourth is a Cohort offered to gifted Evangelists within Australia and New Zealand, and helps them to thrive and be utilized within the church, and to have a real love for the church and for the community. One church leader had this to say about the program:
